The west and Russia have engaged India ahead of the UNSC vote. There has seen pressure on India from the west. India’s European partners, whose envoys met in New Delhi on Friday under the EU banner, want India to criticise Russia for its violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Russian charge d’affaires Roman Babushkin matched it by saying in New Delhi on Friday that his country expected India to support it at the UNSC. New Delhi, however, is expected to maintain there was ‘need for de-escalation and dialogue.’ There are also reports that high-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine may meet soon in Minsk to deescalate the crisis.
The draft resolution, sponsored by the United States and its allies, will call out Russia for its aggression but will be defeated as Russia the aggressor has veto power. Incidentally, it is also the current president of the 15-member UNSC. A Reuters report quoted diplomats that at least 11 members were expected to vote in favour of the resolution condemning the Russian invasion.
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday held talks with his Chinese counterpart. China is expected to back Russia. UAE’s position is unclear. The draft UNSC resolution seen by Reuters condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded it, “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces” and reverse its recognition of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. The text also reaffirms UNSC’s “commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”. The resolution is expected to be taken up by the 193-member UN General Assembly also, according to Reuters.
India had refrained from condemning Soviet invasion of Hungary, in 1956, Czechoslovakia, in 1968, and Afghanistan, in 1979. It did the same when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. Incidentally, Ukraine had vehemently opposed India’s 1998 nuclear tests at the UN. Ukraine also voted in favour of UN Resolution 1172 that condemned the tests. Kyiv had given up its nuclear arsenal in its territory after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla had said on Thursday that India would decide its position after seeing the “shape the resolution takes”. He said India had seen a draft but added that it was expected to undergo considerable changes. India has refrained from criticising Russia in any of its three statements at UNSC meetings earlier and had called for a solution that ensures “legitimate security interests of all parties”.
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